Gala schnico red

ABSTRACT

Malus domestica  Borkh ‘Gala Schnico red’ variety is distinguished by a unique combination of characteristics including an intensive red overcolor covering 100% of the fruit skin and a 30% higher number of lenticels per unit area on the fruit skin.

RELATED APPLICATION INFORMATION

This application claims priority under 35 U.S. §119(a) to European UnionCommunity Plant Variety Breeder's Rights Application No. 2013/1524,filed Jun. 6, 2013; the disclosure of which is incorporated herein byreference in its entirety.

LATIN NAME OF THE GENUS AND SPECIES

The Latin name of the genus and species of the plant variety disclosedherein is Malus domestica Borkh.

VARIETY DENOMINATION

The inventive cultivar of Malus domestica Borkh disclosed herein hasbeen given the varietal denomination ‘Gala Schnico red.’

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct Gala variety ofapple trees named ‘Gala Schnico red.’ The new variety was discovered asa mutation on a Gala plant cultivar ‘Schnitzer Schniga’ in a cultivatedfield at 30904 Nals (BZ) Aniage Knoll, Italy.

‘Gala Schnico red’ has been asexually propagated by grafting and all thetrees of ‘Gala Schnico red’ have been observed to remain true to typeover successive asexually propagated generations and maintain theirunique characteristics.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The new variety ‘Gala Schnico red’ is distinguished from ‘Gala Schnico’,a comparator variety, by the following unique characteristics of anintensive red over colour covering 100% of the fruit skin as compared‘Gala Schnico,’ which has an intensive red over colour covering only80-90% of the fruit skin. In addition, ‘Gala Schnico red’ has a 30%higher number of lenticels per unit area on the fruit skin as comparedto ‘Gala Schnico’.

Asexual reproduction of this new variety by grafting onto rootstockshows that the foregoing and all other characteristics and distinctionsremain true to type over successive asexually propagated generations.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The colours of these illustrations may vary with lighting conditionsand, therefore, colour characteristics of this new variety should bedetermined with reference to the observations described herein, ratherthan from these illustrations alone.

FIG. 1 shows a fruit of ‘Gala Schnico red.’

FIG. 2 provides a closer view of the fruit of ‘Gala Schnico red’ showingthe lenticels.

FIGS. 3 shows the flowers of ‘Gala Schnico red.’

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The following is a detailed description of the ‘Gala Schnico red’variety.

Certain characteristics of this variety may change with changingenvironmental conditions (e.g., light, temperature, moisture), nutrientavailability, or other factors. Quantified measurements are expressed asan average of measurements taken from a number of individual plants ofthe new variety. The measurements of any individual plant, or any groupof plants, of the new variety may vary from the stated average. Colourdescriptions and other terminology are used in accordance with theirordinary dictionary descriptions, unless the context clearly indicatesotherwise. Colour designations are made with reference to The RoyalHorticultural Society (R.H.S.) Colour Chart.

-   Parentage: ‘Gala Schnico red’ variety originated as a mutation of    the Gala cultivar ‘Schnitzer Schniga’ identified in a cultivated    field in Aniage Knoll, Italy.-   Tree: the trees described here are three years old derived from the    vegetatively propagated ‘Gala Schnico red’ mutation and grown on    rootstock.-   Tree type: ramified; Habit: spreading.-   Time of beginning of flowering: medium; comparable to the apple    varieties ‘Cox's Orange Pippin’ and ‘Jonagold.’-   Fruit: Relative area of overall colour is very large and is    comparable to the apple variety ‘Red Jonaprince.’ The hue of over    colour with bloom removed is purple red, which is comparable to the    apple varieties ‘Red Jonaprince’ and ‘Spartan.’ The pattern of over    colour is solid flush with weakly defined stripes similar to the    apple variety ‘Obro Gala.’-   Pollination varieties: Red Delicious, Granny Smith and Golden    Delicious.-   Timing of eating maturity of fruit: Medium, comparable to the apple    varieties ‘Elstar,’ ‘Gala’ and ‘Honeycrisp.’-   Disease and insect resistance: No significant disease or insect    pests have been observed.

What is claimed is:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Malus domestica Borkh named ‘Gala Schnico red,’ substantially as illustrated and described herein. 